Enrico Bertini on Tracking Focused Work

We’ve all come face to face with tracking some aspect of our life only to realize that we’re not quite sure how to get started. Enrico Bertini encountered this roadblock when he began thinking about tracking the amount of time he spends engaging in “focused work.” As an information visualization researcher at NYU he decided on a simple rule that would give him the most accurate data that represented his interests: if it wasn’t tracked then it wasn’t focused work. In this talk, given at the New York QS meetup group, Enrico explains his process and shares his findings (including some great visualizations).

(Editor’s Note: Enrico also co-hosts a great podcast on data visualization and information design called Data Stories. I highly recommend listening. If you’re looking for a place to start try Episode 17: Data Sculptures.)

One Response to Enrico Bertini on Tracking Focused Work

This is great, thanks so much for posting the link to the slides too. I’m going to try this method as well; I foresee a big challenge when it comes to recording finish times. I know that people, needs and opportunities interrupt me all day, and even when I can get an hour of focused work, it’s a real challenge to remain focused enough to record at the very end. That said, no brain implants for tracking automatically!

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